Truth
by Red Blaze 16
Summary: Sequel to Mercy. It's time for Luke to learn the truth of who his father is.


_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you for the kind reviews everyone wrote for Mercy! I decided to make a trilogy. The first story is Mercy. The second story is Truth. I will eventually write the finale. Please let me know what what you think...reviews are appreciated!**_

_**Please note – if you haven't read Mercy, this story may not make sense.**_

Disclaimer – I don't own Star Wars

Truth  
By: Red Blaze 16

The planet of Mustafar was hot and unwelcoming. The sky was almost always covered with dark thick clouds. The light came from the lava that flowed freely across the planet. Most wouldn't even consider living there, even before Lord Darth Vader decided to build his home there.

The dark tower stood among all the lava and noxious fumes. Vader made the planet his sanctuary from Imperial City. The planet represented mixed feelings for Vader. Mustafar was a constant reminder of all he had lost. His wife's betrayal and her refusal to see everything that he had done, he had done for her. She had rejected him and brought Kenobi there to kill her own husband.

Obi-Wan Kenobi. How Vader hated that man! The Jedi Master had claimed to care. He had _cared_ so much that he left a badly injured Anakin beside a lava river to burn and die. Obi-Wan had not only tried to destroy Vader, but that Jedi had stolen his son from him! A son that Vader had found and reclaimed.

Executor had left two standard days ago, after delivering Vader and his injured son to Mustafar. Vader had told Admiral Piett to take the ship and continue on its mission to destroy the Rebels. Vader would signal Executor when he wanted to rejoin.

After the Dark Lord of Sith had executed the man who had saved his son, Vader had spent the rest of the time interrogating the other prisoners. He had wanted to find where the Rebels had disappeared to. The thought had crossed his mind that Luke would know, but Vader refused to interrogate his son.

The other prisoners had provided him with a distraction from the Rebel who had been in the Medical Wing of Executor. Luke Skywalker. His son. A boy who had been told that his father was dead. A boy who had been lied to and kept from his father all his life. Vader wanted to go to his son and tell him of a future that they would have together. Father and son. Reunited.

But the Dark Lord waited. He wanted his son healed from his injures before the reveal. That was the reason why they were on Mustafar. Vader would have time to help his son adjust to the new information. When they left the planet, they would be a united front. Against anyone who stood in their path.

…...

Luke opened his eyes and looked around the room. The boy had been transferred into the new room. The blond was also aware that they weren't on a ship any more. Though it became a type of white noise, you were always aware when on a ship. The hum of the engines let you know that you weren't on a planet. After growing up on Tatooine and escaping from the planet on the Millennium Falcon, the farmboy had wondered if he would ever get used to space. The answer was yes.

The new room was different from the previous room. The original medical room had looked like a simple, but well taken care of, patient room. While the first room had been bright, with light colored walls, this room was darker. The walls were dark gray and black. A combination of stone and metal. The only furniture was the bed that Luke was on. Instead of a human medical doctor, Luke now had a droid.

Just as the thought crossed his mind about the medical droid, it entered the room. The droid locked and unlocked the door when it entered. Luke had yet to figure out how to make the door open for him, even with using the Force. If the boy could open the door, he would have a better chance of escape.

"Where am I?" demanded Luke.

"That is outside of my parameter," replied the droid.

It was the same answer Luke got anytime he asked anything that wasn't related to his medical condition. The droid would tell him how his ankle was healing or that there weren't any signs of infection from the damage that metal shard had done to his side. Luke suspected that the change from human to droid was on purpose.

A relationship could be built between two humans, even between a Rebel and an Imperial. But droids would only do what they were programmed to do. How Luke wished he had R2-D2 here to reprogram the medical droid into answering his questions. Of course, if R2 had been here, Luke wouldn't have needed the medical droid.

The droid checked his ankle, which was no longer elevated. In fact, Luke had been instructed to stand the last time the droid came into the room. It was a test to see how the ankle would handle the boy's weight. The droid had indicated that it wouldn't be long before Luke would be deemed healthy enough to no longer require any medical attention. Of course, the blond wondered what that would mean for him.

After the confrontation between Vader and his admiral, whom the Dark Lord had killed, Luke hadn't seen Vader again. He knew that the man was nearby. He could feel him through the Force. Occasionally, he would feel the cold brush of Vader reaching out to him. Luke would shy away. The younger man felt uncertain what Vader wanted with him. The Dark Lord had gone to too much trouble to make sure he was healed enough for an interrogation. Obviously, Vader wanted something more.

The droid moved onto the side of the bed. It removed the bacta patch and checked Luke's side. The injury was mostly gone. Luke couldn't understand why Vader had wasted bacta on him. It made no sense! The patch was removed completely and the droid continued with its job, as it checked Luke's vital signs.

The droid slid back from the bed. "You are healed from your injures."

Luke sat up. That was another major difference between the first room and his current room. He had been restrained in the first room. When the younger man had noted the lack of restraints, he had asked the droid and had received the standard answer. It was all part of Luke's question on what Vader was doing. He knew, from what he had been told previously, that Darth Vader had ordered his medical treatment. Luke suspected that Vader had also ordered the lack of restraints.

None of it made any sense! Darth Vader knew who Luke was. The Dark Lord knew that Luke was the pilot who had fired the shot that had destroyed the Death Star. Vader also knew that Luke wanted to be a Jedi and was semi-trained in the Force by Obi-Wan Kenobi. The Sith Lord also knew that Luke's father was Anakin Skywalker. Vader had enough reasons to want Luke dead, not healed and healthy.

The droid moved toward the door.

"Since I don't need medical attention any more, am I going to be moved?" asked Luke.

The droid paused at the door and turned back to Luke. "That is outside of my parameter."

The medical droid exited the room and the door slid shut. Luke got up from the bed and tested the door. It was locked.

…...

The medical droid made its way to Lord Vader. As soon as it found him, it waited to be acknowledged by the Dark Lord of Sith.

"Report," growled Vader.

"The patient is healed of his injuries."

When no further command or request was made, the medical droid left. Lord Vader had been standing on a large balcony, with a force shield on it to block the fumes that the lava generated. The shield ran around the entire tower, to provide a buffer between the building and the lava that flowed around it. It also blocked any wind that blew, but Vader had not felt wind against his skin in over 20 years, so it did not matter to him.

Vader turned from the balcony and strode to the room where Luke was being held. It was time.

…...

Luke could feel the dark presence of Vader as he approached. He looked around, but the room was bare, except for the bed. Luke grabbed the bed, to shift it, but it was clamped to the floor. The pillow and bedding would be lousy weapons. Since Luke wore only a pair of white pants, with no shoes or shirt, he didn't even have any body armor to protect himself.

Of course, Luke had the Force, but Vader did not seem to be the type to be influenced into letting him go. Obi-Wan had told him it could affect the weak minded. Weak was not a word that came to mind to describe Vader. Evil. Cruel. Cold. But not weak. Luke realized his only option was to use the Force to shove Vader out of his way and run. But run where? Luke didn't even know where he was.

His time for planning was over. The door slid open and Vader stood in the open doorway. Luke drew on the Force and raised his hand. Just as he went to slide his hand forward and use the Force to shove the Dark Lord, he felt the Force used on him. Luke was picked up and slammed into the wall behind him.

"There is no escape," growled the Dark Lord.

While the force of the blow had startled Luke, he realized he wasn't hurt. The pressure wasn't enough to cause pain. He was pinned against the wall and unable to move though. It also meant, he couldn't defend himself if Vader decided to kill him.

"Why?" demanded the blond.

"Why what, young one?" asked Vader.

"Why did you treat my injuries?" asked Luke. "It would have been a lot easier to kill me when I was still hurt."

"If I wanted you dead, you would be," growled Vader.

Vader moved furthered into the room. He walked over to Luke and stared up at the young man pinned to the wall with the Force.

"But I don't want you dead."

The grip on Luke loosened and the boy slipped down the wall until his feet touched the floor.

"What did Obi-Wan tell you about your father?" demanded Vader.

"What?" asked Luke. Confused, the blond could only stare at the much taller man. Why was Lord Vader asking Luke about Anakin Skywalker?

"Was it Obi-Wan who told you that I killed him?" growled Vader. Anger burned through those words. "What lies did he tell you?"

Luke could feel the Force tightening around him. It wasn't around his throat, which given Vader's history, wouldn't have been an unusual move. The Force simply held Luke in place. Not against the wall, just not able to move.

Luke opened his mouth, ready to demand that, if it was a lie, than why did Vader know about it? Then Luke remembered Cymoon 1. Facing Vader in a hallway. Ben's voice telling him to run. Vader demanding to know who Luke was. No one would know the name of Luke Skywalker, other than as the pilot who had landed the lucky shot that had destroyed the Death Star.

But Anakin Skywalker? Jedi Knight. Friend. Hero. Luke had heard others whisper the name when they didn't think he could hear them. People remembered his father. It didn't matter who Luke was, only that Vader had killed Anakin, so Luke had told the Dark Lord that he had killed his father. Vader's response had made Luke angry.

**I've killed very many fathers. You'll have to be more specific.**

The monster had killed so many people that he couldn't even remember them all! And he couldn't even remember killing Luke's father. Denying Luke a father! Making Luke an orphan to be raised by his aunt and uncle. Luke could feel a little of that anger he had felt on Cymoon 1.

"He told me that you betrayed him," said Luke. Emotions choked his voice. "Ben told me how you hunted down and murdered all the Jedi, including my father."

The grip that held Luke tightened. Luke started to find it difficult to breath. The Force held him tight and did not allow for his chest to expand with the breaths he needed. Luke tried to take short breaths, that wouldn't require his chest to expand as much. It provided him some air, but also made him light headed. Luke wasn't getting enough oxygen.

Luke could feel his vision getting dark. Just as he thought he would lose consciousness, the Force hold on him released him. Luke collapsed to the floor. His lungs filled with oxygen. He coughed and gasped as he struggled to get air.

"The Jedi betrayed me," growled Vader. "And I did not kill Skywalker."

The Force rang with the truth of Vader's words. Vader had not killed Luke's father. "If you didn't kill him, then where is he?" demanded Luke. The blond was kneeling on the floor, still struggling to catch his breath.

"Here," replied the Dark Lord of Sith.

"He's a prisoner here?" asked Luke. The young man stood up.

"You misunderstand me, young one," replied Vader. The voice seemed less cold than a moment ago. "I am your father."

"No." The word was whispered. In that single word, grief and horror could be heard. Luke couldn't avoid how the Force responded to Vader's words. Luke didn't want to hear what the Force was telling him.

"No," Luke repeated, louder this time. The word was stronger and said with more emphasis. He wanted to deny the Force and Vader's words. "My father was Anakin Skywalker..."

"Search the Force," replied Vader. "You know what I say is true."

"No!" shouted the boy. He stepped back from Vader and his back hit the wall.

"Luke," the dark voice said his name. Luke stared at Vader. How could this monster be his father? "My son." Luke shook his head. "Kenobi kept you from me. He stole you. I...I thought you were dead."

The rhythmic breathing and cold voice still gave the boy chills, but the words were spoken softly. An attempt to bridge the gap between monster and father.

"Dead?" asked Luke. "Why did you think I was dead?"

Vader turned from him. The younger man could only wonder at what Vader was thinking or remembering. The older man walked toward the door, but stopped just shy of the sensor to open it. The Dark Lord turned back.

"Kenobi attacked me here, on Mustafar, and left me for dead," growled Vader. The softer side that Luke had glimpsed a moment ago was gone."When I recovered from my injures, I was told that...that...she had died." The last three words were spoken softly.

"She?" asked Luke, confused. A moment later his eyes went wide with wonder. "You mean, my mother? Who was she?"

"You...weren't told?" asked Vader. Curiosity and anger competed with each other in his voice.

The Dark Lord stepped toward the younger man. Luke went to shift back, but realized his back was still pressed against the wall. The boy was trapped. Luke felt unsettled. The emotional shifts Vader was going through made the young man uncertain.

"The only thing I was told was that she died after I was born," replied Luke.

Vader did not reply, but Luke could feel the Dark Lord's emotions in the Force. Grief was strongest, both from Vader and Luke. His own at finding out one of the most evil men in the galaxy was his father and Vader's seemed to focus on Luke's mother. Anger seemed more in line with Vader and Luke was also sensing that emotion rolling off of the Dark Lord.

"Luke..." said Vader, but stopped when Luke raised his hands, palms out to the Sith Lord.

"I...I need time," said Luke. "I thought my father was...and you're..."

A new emotion rippled through the Force. It felt like pain and it came from Vader. Had Luke's words hurt the Dark Lord of Sith?

"Then I will give you some time," replied Vader. His voice felt cold again. The softer Vader from a moment ago was gone. "Do not attempt to escape. You will not like the results of such an attempt."

Vader turned and exited the room. Luke sat on the bed and his head dropped down. Tears burned his eyes.

…...

Luke slept. He had closed his eyes and felt like he had been asleep for hours, though he did not feel rested. He opened his eyes when he heard the door slide open. He knew it wasn't Vader, since he hadn't felt the man's approach. It was the medical droid from earlier.

"You have a communication."

Luke wondered at those words. There was no way that the communication came from anyone he wanted to speak to. The Rebellion wouldn't have been able to find him here, let alone get a communication through to him via a medical droid.

Vader had mentioned that they were on the volcanic planet Mustafar. Luke had heard its name before. It was Vader's personal world. Nothing happened on it that Vader did not know about and condone. Had Vader left the planet when he had left Luke's room? The blond hadn't felt the cold brush from Vader in a while, so it's possible the Sith Lord had left the planet. Was the communication from his...father?

Luke got up from the bed and followed the medical droid. He exited the room. He kept an eye on the droid, but also looked around to inspect his environment. The halls were dark, like his room had been. Occasionally, there would be red light, through a window, to provide natural light. Since the medical droid was darker than those Luke saw around the Rebellion, it blended in better with its surroundings.

They walked down one hall, then turned right and walked down another hall. They didn't pass anyone as they traveled through the halls. Luke wondered where the droid was taking him, before they stopped in front of a new door. It slid open when the sensor detected the droid.

"You have a communication," repeated the droid, as it walked into the door. Luke wondered about taking off and running for it, but he knew it wouldn't help. He didn't know the layout, so he didn't know where to run to. He figured he would have another chance to run later.

Luke entered the room. There was a small communication terminal. The droid stood next to the chair in front of the communication center. Luke moved up to the chair and saw an older man on the screen. His face was wrinkled with time and scars. A robe hood was pushed back, not off of his head, but back so Luke could see the older man's face. Luke didn't need to be told who it was. He recognized Emperor Palpatine. Luke stopped and stared at the old man.

"Luke," said the Emperor. His voice was kind and gentle. Nothing like what Luke had expected. "I wanted a chance to speak with you."

The younger man frowned. The Emperor had sounded like a kind older uncle or grandfather. A tone that would never sound cross or angry. A man who would understand mistakes and help you to do better next time. It wasn't the image that came to mind for Palpatine.

"Come, sit down, my boy," said the Emperor. His wrinkled hand waved in the screen. Luke cautiously stepped forward and sat down.

Palpatine frowned and shook his head. "You look tired, my boy. What has my apprentice done?"

"What do you mean?" said Luke. His voice was uncertain.

From the moment Vader had taken him, to his medical treatment, to the truth of finding out Anakin Skywalker was alive and had became Darth Vader, the younger man had felt off balance. Now, the Emperor seemed...concerned about him. Luke wondered if he had ended up in an alternate reality or if this was all a nightmare and he would eventually wake up.

The man speaking to him was nothing like what he had expected the Emperor to be. He had heard stories from Leia and others in High Command within the Rebellion. The only person in the galaxy that was more evil than Darth Vader was Emperor Palpatine. Yet, no one would believe that the man speaking to Luke could be such an evil person. He seemed like a kind old man.

"I had been worried about this," replied the older man, shaking his head. "There is much you do not know."

Luke opened his mouth, but stopped before he said anything. Did the Emperor know why Vader had searched the entire galaxy for Luke? Did Palpatine know that Vader had been Anakin? The Emperor, at the end of the Clone Wars, had ordered the execution of all Jedi. He had named them traitors, after what the newscasts had called a failed assassination. If Palpatine didn't know, would it risk Vader for him to know the truth now?

"I suppose Lord Vader has told you he had once been known as Anakin Skywalker?" asked Palpatine. The older man sat back from the screen.

Luke didn't reply. The Emperor's question answered Luke's question about the older man's knowledge. The boy's non-answer seemed to confirm the Emperor's question though. The older man closed his eyes and nodded his head. Palpatine took a deep breath and opened his eyes.

"It is true," said the older man. "But he is not that man any more."

"Why are you telling me this?" asked Luke. His voice echoed the doubt he was feeling. "Why would you even care? You probably know who I am."

"A misguided young man who has been manipulated by zealots into attacking the Empire," replied the Emperor, sadly. He nodded his head.

"They are not zealots!" said Luke, angry that the Emperor would use that word to describe his friends and comrades.

"I understand your need to defend them," replied the older man, as he nodded head. "Their lies have enraged many."

"I saw first hand what the Empire can do," countered Luke. He remembered the burned bodies of his uncle and aunt and the Jawas, who had sold the droids to his family. The smells had been terrible. He had lost the only home he had ever known because of the Empire. "I saw how you use fear and death to control others. Or to stop the galaxy from finding out about your Death Star."

"You mean your family on Tatooine?" asked the Emperor. The older man noted Luke's surprise. "I did not order their deaths. My apprentice...Lord Vader had become enraged when he saw them. Anything that reminds him of his past makes him violent. They died because of who they were, not because they accidentally bought some droids."

The younger man remembered what Leia had told him. Vader had tracked her ship down, after its escape from Scarif. When she realized she would be caught, she stored the Death Star plans in R2-D2 and the droids had escaped to Tatooine. Eventually, R2-D2 and C-3PO were bought by Luke's family and Luke discovered the secret message from Leia. Stormtroopers had tracked the droids to his home and had killed Luke's uncle and aunt. The only reason Luke was alive was because he hadn't been home was the Empire had shown up.

"What about the Death Star?" demanded Luke. "And the destruction of Alderaan? Are those lies too?"

"The battle station was meant to provide protection," answered the Emperor. "So things like what happened in the Clone Wars wouldn't happen again. Sadly, I underestimated Grand Moff Tarkin. He turned the base into a weapon. I did not order the destruction of Alderaan. He did that without my knowledge, otherwise I would have stopped it."

Luke said nothing. Even if Palpatine hadn't ordered it, then why had he left the Death Star in the hands of Tarkin? There would have been time for the Emperor to know about the planet's destruction and remove Tarkin from command before the station had shown up in the Yavin system.

"There is so much you do not know, my boy," replied the Emperor, as he sadly nodded his head. He acted as if the previous matter was settled. "You need to understand the level of danger you are in."

"What kind of danger?" asked Luke. Danger wasn't new for the young man. Every day as a Rebel was dangerous. The smallest mistake could kill you or someone else.

"Lord Vader is an unstable man," replied the Emperor. "As a Jedi, he allowed his anger to rule him. The Jedi Council refused to see how dangerous he was. He was lauded a hero and put on the Council. He killed those who could not defend themselves, like a tribe of Sand People on Tatooine and a former Jedi by the name of Dooku, who was unarmed at the time."

"I tried to give him guidance, to help him, but it was no use," continued Palpatine. The older man closed his eyes and shook his head. He opened his eyes and the yellow eyes stared at the younger man. "His anger overwhelmed him and he eventually turned on his wife...your mother...while she was pregnant with you."

"What?" gasped Luke. The boy remembered Vader's words from earlier. _I thought you were dead._ Had Vader attacked his pregnant wife? Is that why the Dark Lord had thought Luke was dead?

Palpatine nodded his head sadly. "It was after he attacked her that you were born. I believe the injures Lord Vader caused his wife ultimately killed her. Such a terrible tragedy. He is the most dangerous to those he claims he wants to keep safe, Luke. I thought he was doing better, but when he heard about you...he is worse than ever."

"Why should I believe you?" demanded Luke. The doubt was clearly heard in the younger man's voice.

Emperor Palpatine's hand moved and the screen changed. Instead of seeing a close up of the older man, Luke saw into a prison cell. A man with dark hair, a little gray at the temples, sat on a bench. Luke recognized the man. It was Dimitri, the man who had saved Luke.

The only reason why Luke was alive was because of Dimitri. The base had been mostly evacuated when the Empire had shown up. Ships from above had sent bombardments down onto the planet and the Rebels who were still in the base. It had caused a cave in and buried Luke. Dimitri had taken the time to dig Luke out.

Luke told the man to run and leave him, but the older man stayed until Luke had had to use the Force to make him leave. By that time, Darth Vader had shown up and Luke thought that the Dark Lord would kill them both. When Dimitri left, Luke had thought that the older man had escaped. But, seeing the man in a prison cell, Luke realized that he had been caught after all.

As Luke watched, something caught Dimitri's attention and the man went to stand. Instead of standing, the older man collapsed, screaming. His body twitched. Over the screams, Luke heard Vader's breathing. As Luke watched, he saw Vader demand questions of Dimitri. But the tortured man couldn't answer. Nothing but screams came from his mouth. Dimitri continued to twitch on the floor.

The video wasn't long. Toward the end, Dimiri gasped and begged for Vader to stop. The suffering made his voice unrecognizable from the voice Luke remembered. Luke heard a loud crack and the screaming stopped. The blond didn't need to be told that Dimitri was dead at the hands of Vader.

The cell disappeared and Emperor Palpatine, with his sad eyes, gazed at Luke. "Did you recognize the man that Lord Vader killed?"

Luke looked away. He refused to answer. Though Palpatine was being kind to him, Luke was still a Rebel. He wouldn't give the Emperor knowledge about any member of the Rebellion. Even one who was dead. Dead because he stayed to save Luke and the Empire caught him.

"I understand," said Palpatine. He nodded his head. "You feel loyalty to a man who saved you. You should know that Lord Vader knew that this man had helped you. There were other prisoners who were caught, but he was the first one Lord Vader sought out."

Palpatine sat back from the screen. His sad eyes stared at Luke. "As I told you, my boy, Lord Vader isn't stable. I fear that, if you remain on Mustafar, it won't be long before he loses control and attacks you. Unless he already has? Has he attacked you, Luke?"

Luke remembered earlier, in his room. Vader had slammed him against the wall with the Force. Just as Vader had slammed Admiral Ozzel against the wall in Luke's first medical room, right before the Dark Lord had killed the man. Granted, Ozzel had been hurting Luke at the time Vader had attacked the Admiral, but Luke had been ready to attack Vader, in order to escape. Vader had just been faster.

While Luke may not have known who Vader was, the Dark Lord had known that Luke was his son when he had done that. And what about when Vader had tightened his hold on Luke and the boy had struggled to breath? If Vader hadn't released Luke, the boy would have passed out or even died.

Was the Emperor correct? Would Vader eventually kill him in a rage? And, even if Palpatine was right, why would he want to save Luke? The young man was trying to become a Jedi. Luke was a Rebel and had destroyed the Death Star. The Emperor had ever reason to want Luke dead.

"You are not safe there, my boy."

Luke looked back at the screen. "I have no way off of this planet."

"Ah, but I can help you," replied the Emperor. He provided Luke with a gentle encouraging smile. "The medical droid will bring you to the landing pad. There should be a few ships that you can use to escape."

"And when Vader catches me?" asked Luke.

"Once the droid has brought you to the landing pad, it will leave to seek out Lord Vader. To tell him you have taken a turn for the worse from the injures you sustained. Lord Vader will rush to your room. It will buy you the time to escape."

Luke looked at the droid. It had remained next to the communication terminal for their entire conversation.

"I do ask you to consider one thing, my boy," said Palpatine. His smile turned sad again. "Lord Vader will find you again. His obsession with you grew after every time he almost had you and you escaped. Now that you know the truth that he was your father...I fear that his fixation will reach a new level. He will not stop until he finds you again. And he will be very angry with you."

"Then I won't let him catch me again," replied Luke.

Palpatine shook his head. "He caught you once, my boy. I believe he will eventually find you again. You're only option is to come to me at Imperial City. I will keep you safe."

"I doubt I will find any safety at Imperial City," replied Luke. Left unsaid was the second part of those words. _Or that you would willingly provide me with it. _Luke doubted that the Emperor would welcome him with open arms.

"Consider it, my boy," replied the Emperor.

The transmission ended. Luke blinked at the screen.

"I will escort you to the landing pad," said the droid.

Luke stood up and followed the droid. He didn't reach out for Vader. While the boy wanted to know where the Dark Lord was, he figured that, if he felt for Vader, then the older man would know that Luke was out of his room. Luke wanted to open himself to the Force, to sense for danger, but knew that that would also give him away. He had to trust the droid that it would bring him safely to the landing pad and that there would be a ship the boy could use to escape.

They quickly made their way through the tower. It felt like hours, but Luke was certain it was only minutes before they stopped. The droid stepped up to a new door and it slid back. Luke looked inside and he saw three small ships. One was Lord Vader's modified TIE Advanced. The others were two small transport ships.

"Did he suggest a ship?" asked Luke.

"The TIE Advanced will not leave the planet for anyone besides Lord Vader," replied the droid.

"That leaves the two transports," said Luke.

He decided on the transport that was furthermost from the door and closer to the bay doors. Luke rushed toward the ship. With a press of a button, the ship's door open and Luke slipped inside. Luke pressed a new button and the door closed. He reached the cockpit and started the ship. He did a system check and everything looked good. Luke glanced through the cockpit window, toward the door, and saw that the droid was gone.

He pressed a new button and watched the docking bay doors open. Luke settled into the pilot's chair when he felt the first ripple in the Force.

_Luke!_

The blond knew it was now or never. With a few more buttons and levers, Luke had the transport in the air and out of the door.

_LUKE!_

A few moments later, the ship was in space. Quickly, Luke calculated a route away from Mustafar, Luke breathed a sigh of relief, as the stars shifted into streams of light.

…...

Vader stood in the docking bay. The ship that Luke escaped on was long gone. The Dark Lord vibrated with anger. How had the boy escaped his room?

The medical droid walked into the room. "Error. Error."

Vader turned and looked at the droid. "What error?" he growled.

Vader's hand clenched at his side. He wanted to tear the droid apart, but stopped himself. Perhaps the droid knew how Luke had escaped? If it had not come to him and told him that his son had become violently ill, Vader would have been able to get the launch pad in time to stop the boy from escaping. Had the droid been somehow involved in assisting Luke's escape? Or had Luke pretended to be ill and used the droid as a distraction?

"Override," replied the medical droid. "New orders."

"Who provided you with new orders?" demanded the Dark Lord.

"Emperor Palpatine," replied the droid.

"What were those orders?" growled Vader.

"Tell Skywalker he had a communication from the Emperor. Escort to communication terminal then to landing pad," said the droid. "Tell Lord Vader that Skywalker is ill to provide Skywalker time to escape."

With a screech of metal, the droid was ripped apart by Vader, using the Force. Vader rushed to the communication room. He noted the new transmission. The Dark Lord accessed the system and replayed the last communication.

His anger grew with each word Emperor Palpatine said to Luke. Everything Palpatine did and said was a lie. Or half-true, so the boy got the wrong impression. From the words, to the tone of voice, to the gentle smiles the old man had given to Luke. Not to mention the falsified video of the Rebel's execution. Vader had not seen the fake fatherly side of Palpatine since the Dark Lord had rejected the Jedi ways and became the Emperor's apprentice. Now, the old man used those skills on his son.

Everything that old man did had one purpose. To secure his power. Palpatine couldn't allow Luke and Vader to join sides. He needed to drive Luke away from Vader. To increase the boy's fear of his father and, hopefully, Luke would turn to the one man who had offered to keep him safe. Even if Luke didn't go to Palpatine, the boy wouldn't trust Vader. Not after the lies Palpatine had told the boy.

When the transmission ended, Vader knew he had one purpose. For father and son to be together, Emperor Palpatine had to die.

TBC


End file.
